Box toe cap



June 26, 1945. F. N.L' 1CHAPELLE BOX TOE CAP Filed May 5, 1944 ID V EN TOR. 592-0 All/1 (M FELL DEcp. y EMJAOma-us, 40M.

Pafented June 26, 1945 BOX TOE CAP Fred N. La Chapelle, deceased,.late of Beverly,

Mass., byEvelyn M. La Chapelle, administratrix, Beverly, Mass.

Application May 5, 1944, Serial No. 534,277 1 3 Claims.

Objects of the invention include the provision of a box toe cap for shoes having a relatively stiff strengthening member which prevents the toe cap from flexing under ordinary pressures in the central region of the box toe, the strengthening and stiffening element being made of fibrous material such as wood, fiber, or paper of any heavy grade, or the stiffener may be made of any other relatively stiff material; the provision of a box toe cap stiffener which is extremely inexpensive to manufacture and which can be used with any form of box toe cap whether made of felt, jute or the like materials and which are of themselves of a less' rigid nature than the stiffening element; the provision of a box toe cap including a stiffening element which will permit the manufacture and use of cheap grades of box toe caps, applied as usual in the pulling over and lasting operations, and which will render a cheap toe cap stronger and stiffer in the finished shoe than a high priced toe cap of present manufacture.

Further objects of the invention include the provision of methods of making a box toe cap stiffener cheaply and efilciently in production with little or no waste of material and which may be used in any shoe in which box toes are incorporated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a top plan view of a box toe cap blank;

Fig. 2 is a reduced top plan view of a modification thereof;

Fig. 3 is an edge view of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a. further modification; and

Fig. 5 is a section through a toe cap showing the invention.

The usual commercial box toe, for instance of the Beckwith type, ordinarily comprises a shaped blank of felt or jute impregnated with certain waxes and oils, which can be built into the shoe in the pulling over and lasting operations and which will more or less satisfactorily retain its shape after the shoe has been dried. One disadvantage of this box toe, and of other similar box toes, resides in the fact that it will flex to become depressed even when a small pressure is applied to the toe of the shoe. Also, heat tends to soften the usual box toe and allow the same to become stretched and to get out of shape even under ordinary conditions and the result is that these shoes soon become deformed and unsightly.

In Fig, 1 the box toe cap blank comprises a layer IU of felt, jute, or the like as in the conventional box toe. In any case the material forming the layer is relatively soft and pliable and alone is not satisfactory for box toes because of this fact. This invention provides a stiffener for the blanklll, this stiffener comprising a relatively stiff layer of material l2 which, in Fig. 1, is shown as coinciding with the rear edge 14 of the soft layer II], but on all other sides the stiff layer [2 stops short of the edges of the soft layer. The stiff layer may be skived around its edges as at It, and the soft layer may be skived at the opposite side face of the blank as indicated by dotted lines at IS.

The extreme toe end of the blank is indicated at and it will be seen that the stiff layer l2 fails to extend to this edge. This construction allows the toe cap blank to be pulled over in the pulling over machine and to extend down past the insole as shown in Fig. 5, whereas the stiff layer terminates at 22 in the same figure. The toe cap is thereby easily sewed as at 24 to the insole 26 and the welt 28. At the same time, however, the stifiening layer provides the equivalent of the three point suspension more fully described in the above identified application. In any case, it will be seen that the box toe cap is supported at the extreme forward end at 22 and will also be so supported at the spaced points 30, see Fig. 1, these points resting on the insole or welt at the rear end of the box toe. Also the areas at 32 provide for sewing around the edges of the box toe cap.

In Fig. 2, the construction is similar to that of Fig. 1 except that the stiffening layer 34 is similar in shape to the soft layer 36 but is spaced from the edges of the latter all the way around, providing a continuous support on the insole or welt along the curved line 38 but also allowing freedom of sewing at the area 40, i. e., all around the blank.

In the Fig. 4 construction, the stiff layer 42 stops short of all edges of the soft layer 44 but does not follow the contour thereof, being irregular in form along the edges 46 for the purpose of providing spaced point supports on the insole or welt and at the same time providing for sewing as illustrated in Fig. 5.

The box toe cap of the present invention provides all the advantages as explained in the above identified case but in addition also provides for easy sewing not only along the side edges of the cap but at the extreme toe portion thereof; and also this invention shows that the stiffening layer may be coextensive with the rear edge of the soft layer if this is convenient or desired.

Having thus described the invention and the advantages thereof, applicant does not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what is claimed is:

1. A box toe cap comprising a layer of relatively soft box toe cap material in the conventional shape and a layer of relatively stiff material, the stiff material stopping short of the extreme toe end of the soft layer so that the latter may be easily sewed; the stiff layer extending to the insole at extreme toe end, and being irregular in outline at certain edges thereof.

2. A box toe cap comprising a layer of relatively soft box toe cap material and a layer of relatively stiff material, the stiff material stopping short of the extreme toe end of the soft layer, said stiff layer being smaller in extent than the soft; layer and having an irregular outline at certain edges thereof.

3. The box toe cap of claim 2 wherein an edge of the stiff layer substantially coincides with the rear edge of the soft layer.

EVELYN M; LA CHAPELLE, Administratrz'a: of the Estate of Fred N. La

Chapelle, Deceased. 

